UPDATED COVID-19 Info
Having trouble viewing this email? Click here
NEW: Duration of the move to online instruction
Classes migrating online should prepare to do so beginning Monday, March 23 rd and continuing through April 6 as part of FSCJ’s current response. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments and advise students and faculty by March 30 th if the move to online instruction will be extended beyond April 6.

NEW: Collegewide “OnPoints” about COVID-19 the week of March 23 rd
OnPoint updates will occur each afternoon on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Time and dial-in instructions for these calls will be made available via calendar invites. If there are specific questions that you have that you would like to have addressed on these calls, please email communications@fscj.edu .

NEW: No change to A15 Withdrawal Date
The A15 Withdrawal Deadline will remain in place and FSCJ will communicate this to students. Faculty are requested to echo this communication once it is produced and shared with students. Moving this date would have multiple ramifications for financial aid, including a push-back of the funds disbursement date for students in A15 courses. We will still have appeals available for students who get caught out by this and we will be sensitive to the issue. In the end, cleaning up withdrawal issues is the lesser of two evils—holding the date firm keeps the funds many students are anticipating on track for timely access.

This remainder of this message is identical to the last Academic Operations Bulletin, which was sent yesterday, 3/14/2020. The information below remains accurate, and it is being included here for easy access as faculty and staff return from Spring Break and reengage work at FSCJ.

With Spring Break extended for students until Monday, March 23 rd , all instructional activities will pause during this period, even for online courses. We will use the week to migrate all face-to-face and hybrid courses to an online/distance modality, to the degree possible. This is a mandatory migration, as face-to-face and hybrid instruction will remain suspended indefinitely, until we see how the public health response to COVID-19 evolves.
 
FSCJ faculty and staff will resume work on Monday, March 16. Please see FSCJ’s guidance on those who should report in person and those who should remain offsite. Individual situations that require additional discussion or clarity should be brought to a supervisor’s attention.
 
Special guidelines for full-time and adjunct faculty
 
  • Full-time faculty
  • As always, our shared professionalism serves us well here. Make your best professional judgment about whether you should work onsite or
  • To keep us organized, an expectation in this regard is that you “check in” with your supervising administrator at some point on Monday to share your status and general plan for the week. An email will certainly suffice.
  • Whether you are teaching face-to-face or hybrid courses, or adapting an ongoing online course, notify your supervising administrator once your preparations to begin online/distance instruction on March 23 are in place. This is an important first step in the documentation we must compile regarding our response to COVID-19. Please keep written records of your “transition work” such as communication with classes, altered syllabi, etc. Academic Schools, Programs and Departments may provide more specific guidance on documentation requirements.
  • If you become ill and believe you need assistance with course instruction, advise your supervising administrator ASAP.
  • Unless cleared with your supervisor, there is a professional expectation that you will be locally available during the week and will respond as needed to the business of the College.
  • The guidance outlined here is minimal because it applies to all faculty. Please adhere to more specific guidance that may come from your Associate Provost, Dean or Program Manager.
  • Adjunct Faculty
  • Whether you are teaching face-to-face or hybrid courses, or modifying an ongoing online course, notify your supervising administrator once your preparations to begin online/distance instruction on March 23 are in place. This is an important first step in the documentation we must compile regarding our response to Covid-19. Please keep written records of your “transition work” such as communication with classes, altered syllabi, etc. Academic Schools, Programs and Departments may provide ore specific guidance on documentation requirements.
  • If you become ill and believe you need assistance with course instruction, advise your supervising administrator ASAP.
  • The guidance outlined here is minimal because it applies to all faculty. Please adhere to more specific guidance that may come from your Associate Provost, Dean or Program Manager.
 
A note about “native” online courses
 
Because the Spring Break extension applies to all students, the clock on all online courses stops as well. In practical terms, this means that any work assigned as due the week of March 16-22 is postponed. While I encourage and applaud those who will maintain connection with their classes during this downtime, official due dates are not enforceable during the period when classes are suspended and, therefore, may become grounds for academic appeal . With the exception of the requirement that faculty suspend all required work and due dates during the week of March 16-22, I leave it to each professional’s judgment about how to reasonably adapt online courses already in progress.
 
Making the mandated transition to online
 
The week ahead will provide much-needed time to effectively transition to an online modality. Please remember to notify your supervising administrator once your preparations to begin online/distance instruction on March 23 are in place. A number of resources are listed and linked below, but novices are especially encouraged to reach out to experienced peers and other staff for help:
 
·     Faculty resource specialists at each campus Faculty Resource Center (contact info provided on linked site)
·    Instructional designers through the Center for eLearning ( cel@fscj.edu )
 
Keep in mind, also, that there is not an expectation that transitioned courses will incorporate cutting edge technology, so long as academic rigor is maintained. Conference calls with students and presentations sent over email are perfectly acceptable tools to leverage in making the transition. Here are some other resources:
 
Training courses on Canvas readiness: Basic Training; Advanced Training; Grading, Rubrics and Analytics; etc. The following courses have ongoing open enrollment:
·    AFPD 3420 Getting Started in eLearning Class #5180
·    AFPD 1333 Canvas Rubrics Class #6229
·    AFPD 1334 Canvas Grading Class #6230
·    Canvas Studio for recording and sharing lecture video (i) AFPD1102: Canvas Studio; (ii) helpful document on faculty exchange site ( https://facultyexchange.fscj.edu/admin/resources/screencapwebcam.pdf )
·    Canvas conference for live lecture – (i) AFPD5320: Canvas – using conference; (ii) helpful video on faculty exchange website ( https://fscj.instructuremedia.com/embed/1536d706-0407-41de-88c2-24ad13c38a9c )
 
External resources:
·    Going Online in a Hurry: What to Do and Where to Start - https://www.chronicle.com/article/Going-Online-in-a-Hurry-What/248207/#.XmaiszV4ybA.twitter
·    How to Be a Better Online Teacher - https://www.chronicle.com/interactives/advice-online-teaching
 
A note about testing and assessment
 
Maintaining academic integrity, especially when it comes to testing and assessment, is one of the biggest challenges in online instruction. Seasoned online instructors are well-versed with online proctoring services and FSCJ’s assessment centers as effective tools. Our mass move to online instruction will raise these questions anew for many instructors. Please be assured that we will examine options for meeting instructional needs for secure testing during the week. It is most helpful that you share your plans with your supervising administrator, so that we can understand our collective needs.
 
The preeminence of academic rigor and integrity
 
There is much we can and will do to meet this challenge. At the same time, we must be very clear that our mandate is not to transition to a “semester light” just to “get it done.” On this point, institutions received from SACSCOC this week a note sharing a number of flexible accommodations with students along with a reminder of our obligation to fully teach our curricula and maintain integrity in our assertion that students have satisfactorily completed their courses. In SACS-speak: “Full course credit when the course was not completed would demonstrate non-compliance with Standard 9.2 (Program Length), Standard 10.7 (Credit Hour), and Standard 1.1 (Integrity) of the Principles of Accreditation .” If you find yourself in a situation where you are unable to meet these standards while adapting your course(s), please notify your supervisor immediately.
 
Expect additional communication when next week arrives. We will rise to meet these challenges together. Thank you for all you continue to do. -John
Sincerely,
John J. Wall, Ph.D.
Provost
Florida State College at Jacksonville
501 West State Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone: (904) 632-3105
If you have any questions or comments about these resources, we welcome your calls and emails. Feel free to contact Academic Operations for further assistance: robin.sarge@fscj.edu or 904-361-6242.

** Please note that under Florida's very broad public records law, electronic mail and recorded voicemail messages to and from College employees may be subject to public disclosure.